Morale is a decisive component for any team to be successful because everything we do as a team is done by human beings. And people aren’t robots where they can simply be programmed, turned on, set to “maximum effort” and sent off to execute. Human beings, unlike robots, have emotions,

As the leader of a team, it is your responsibility to place the right people in the right positions so that the team will reach its greatest potential and be successful. Throughout the course of this duty, you will be forced to make difficult decisions. Most often, there is only

In the first few months of my recovery from double-above-knee amputations, as one might expect, I was entirely reliant upon a wheelchair for my mobility. Despite the fact that it allowed me to go where I wanted to go and do what I wanted to do, I didn’t like being

As discussed in the previous article, it is our natural human tendency to erect boundaries more readily and frequently than is necessary or ideal. This occurs due to many of the other multitude of tendencies that human beings follow: blaming others, taking the easy path, thinking short term, over-thinking long

Nobody Escapes Life We are all subject to the undeniable fact of life that we do not control everything. As a result of that, there will inevitably be a multitude of external factors that will affect our lives on a daily basis. Some are directly connected to our actions. For

When human beings encounter situations and circumstances that disrupt their homeostasis, they cannot function optimally until that homeostasis is re-established. As humans, we seek stability, certainty, and equilibrium. When all of that is interrupted, we naturally seek ways to regain it. It is this innate need that results in boundaries

“If you really feel like you need to make a statement that you know has some value, instead of making a statement. Try asking a question.” -Jocko Willink, Standard Directive 013 Intro: Not Just Questions. Earnest Questions. Asking questions is a core component of almost every tactic and strategy we

In order for a team to reach its highest potential, every leader on that team must also be as effective and as skilled as they can possibly be. As a leader in a formal position in the chain of command, it is your responsibility to coach and train your people

In the Summer of 2010, Kilo Company of 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines got dropped off on top of a desert knoll in Musa Qalah, Afghanistan. Along with them, as one of their combat engineer attachments specializing in IED detection, was me. Our mission over the next two weeks was to

Throughout every human being’s life, they will have experiences, gain knowledge, and form opinions that shape what they think and how they behave. When that same person then must interact with other human beings, they will be interacting with someone else who has a completely different set of thoughts and

“If you can’t control your emotions, how can you control anything?” -Jocko Willink  Emotions are Human Nature  I grabbed the left handle of my ATV and angrily and aggressively hauled myself onto the seat. After starting it and shifting into reverse, I backed out of the garage with reckless abandon,

“Who sets the culture of a team? The leaders. Who are the leaders? You are.” -Jocko Willink  How to Influence Workplace Culture in Five Steps   According to some studies, the average person will spend roughly a third of their life at work. And that is just time spent at

“When you have that feeling that the other team doesn’t understand, or that other leader doesn’t understand, the reason that they don’t understand is because of how you have communicated.”    -Dave Berke, Muster 006  Introduction  The door between the garage and the mudroom of our house clicked open. I hurriedly

“Micromanagement is a temporary tool, not a permanent solution.” -Leif Babin  What Is Micromanagement – Deprivation of Freedom  Freedom. It is the number one state toward which all human beings strive. Wars have been fought for it. Countries have been founded to protect it. Millions of people have died to

“What’s the hack? How do you become stronger, smarter, faster, healthier? How do you become better? How do you achieve true freedom? There is only one way. The way of discipline.” -Jocko Willink, Discipline Equals Freedom: Field Manual Introduction August 10th, 2010. My eyes creaked open. I blinked them several

“You save those three minutes, you save those five minutes, and those minutes add up. And those minutes become hours. And days. And weeks. That is how you make time.” -Jocko Willink, Standard Directive 023 Introduction: What is Time Management? In November of 2005, I sat down at my desk